1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to shift mechanisms for manual transmissions, particularly to a spherical bearing for supporting a gear shift lever.
2. Description of the Prior Art
German Patent Document DE 37 42 084 describes a gear shift lever bearing for a manual transmission. The bearing housing supports a one-piece ball socket of tough, resilient material having multiple radially directed slots and a ball fitted into the socket by opening the socket elastically. The bearing includes lateral guide tabs projecting into corresponding lateral guide grooves formed in the socket, and a retaining ring holding the ball socket in position in the bearing housing by an elastically resilient locking ring.
The locking ring is generally in the form of a O-ring or a corrugated spring lock washer, secured by a retaining ring in the form of a snap ring. The O-ring and the corrugated spring washer compensate for axial tolerances on the ball socket component and ensure that the ball fits in the socket without play.
Because the axially extending, generally radial slots remain open after assembly, the gear shift bearing of the '084 document has the disadvantage that the support of the upper part of the ball can become unstable when it is subjected to high load and stress. This result can occur because the corresponding sectors of the ball socket can become displaced.
German Patent Document DE-GM 85 04 691 describes a form of a modified upper locking ring, which is secured by a retaining ring to the outer circumference of the ball socket, thereby providing support for the individual sectors of the ball socket. However, even when a shift lever bearing is made in this way, the slots between the sectors of the ball socket remain open, so that the sectors can be displaced laterally under high loading.